NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - During a 17-year follow-up of
roughly 4,000 men and women, researchers found that individuals
with higher blood levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent lower
risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels
of this vitamin.

"It has been suggested that vitamin D might be involved in
processes leading to type 2 diabetes," Dr. Paul Knekt from the
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, told Reuters
Health. "Human evidence from population studies is, however,
missing."

During follow-up, 187 people developed type 2 diabetes.
After adjusting for age, sex, and month when blood samples were
obtained, a statistically significant inverse association was
observed between the blood vitamin D level and the development
of type 2 diabetes.

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People with the highest vitamin D levels had a 40 percent
lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes as those with the
lowest vitamin D levels. Knekt and colleagues report in the
journal Diabetes Care.

This association was attenuated somewhat after further
adjustments were made for potential risk factors for type 2
diabetes, including body weight, physical activity level, and
smoking.

"Vitamin D comes from the diet (mainly from fish),
supplements and sun exposure," Knekt noted. "Previous human
studies have suggested that high intake of fish fat is related
to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Our diabetes
finding is thus in line with the suggestion of beneficial
health effects of fish," Knekt said.